float 1 of 2

Definition of floatnext
1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2

float

2 of 2

noun

as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of float
Verb
As acidity rises during fermentation, these proteins stop floating freely and begin linking together into a microscopic network that traps water, fat and nutrients. Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 23 May 2026 That shift triggers casein proteins, which normally float freely, to link into a microscopic network that traps water, fat and nutrients. Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2026
Noun
Cache Bayou Outfitters geared us up for a 90-minute float beneath the gnarly trees—some of which have held court here for a millennium. Jess Hoffert, Midwest Living, 15 May 2026 Attendees are invited to dress up and compete in three different categories for best dressed: dogs and their dates, floats and going stag. Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
  • And that's just while hovering in place!
    Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 May 2026
  • Imax’s stock is nearing $40 a share after the news broke about a potential sale, but the company hovered in the $20 range for much of 2025.
    Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • At different times, this season, with its looming threat of relegation, appeared to be the consequence of that wandering focus.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 25 May 2026
  • King Supa Dixon drowned after wandering away from his nearby home on Tuesday afternoon, after returning from school.
    Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 24 May 2026
Noun
  • Video from a nearby EarthCam captured the moments leading up to the crash, showing a man departing from a dock before accelerating rapidly.
    Abby Dodge, CBS News, 26 May 2026
  • The property also offers a deep-water dock for boat lovers, a pool and spa, a private tennis court and a fitness center.
    Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
Verb
  • After a strikeout for the second out, Newport batter Noah Whitaker, with Horsley breaking for third base and Hatfield for second, was called out for batter’s interference on Ganesha catcher Dyson Grant’s throw to second base, a throw that sailed into center field.
    Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
  • Royer won the third set when Djokovic sailed a backhand long, triggering a roar of applause from the crowd.
    Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Verb
  • Some experts said urban animal parks were too small for creatures that roam extensive distances in the wild.
    Jennifer Peltz, Fortune, 28 May 2026
  • Squirrels are afraid of dogs, especially the big, aggressive ones, which means these rodents shouldn't be a problem when your pooch is roaming free.
    Ashlyn Needham, The Spruce, 28 May 2026
Noun
  • In San Isidro, a movement was born Castillo and Otero grew up in San Isidro, a working class, hardscrabble neighborhood abutting the wharfs near the Port of Havana, and became friends – one a rapper, the other a visual artist.
    Rick Jervis, USA Today, 13 May 2026
  • An official commissioner of confiscation seized his Philadelphia home and wharf, which were worth thousands of pounds, along with his land in Chester County.
    Kimberly Nath, The Conversation, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • Taking an 0-2 deficit into Vegas is like trying to swim the Blue Mesa Reservoir with a bowling ball strapped to your right ankle.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 23 May 2026
  • Even Jason Momoa swims in, but in a non-Aquaman role.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 23 May 2026
Verb
  • The two of us drifted aimlessly.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 May 2026
  • Whatever the case, Jobson reckons that self-sufficient sea cucumber fragments—immortal or not, with or without a purpose in this world—are drifting through Earth’s oceans right now.
    Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 27 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 30 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on float

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster